Pre-Trip Report: Danielle’s First Annual Passholder Trip (April 2026)

[00:00:11] Welcome to Where I Long To Be: A Magical Trip Report Podcast. My name is Virginia and I am your host. Well, I have survived April and it's finally May. Spring has sprung, the sun is shining, the tank is clean, and I am ready to talk some Disney. On today's show, I am welcoming back previous guest and friend of the podcast, Danielle from AskTheMouse.com. It's your go-to resource for all things Disney, and I encourage you to check it out and give her a follow if you aren't already.

[00:00:40] And with that, let's get right into it. Please welcome back my friend, Danielle. Welcome back, Danielle. It's been a while since we've spoken. It has been. I feel like every time we talk, it's just like, I don't know, you know, you talk with some people and it can be any length of time and you just pick right back up and you're good to go and you still have the same report you did and you're one of those people.

[00:01:07] Likewise, I feel like that with you too. It's so natural and it's funny because we haven't even met in person. But I love our digital relationship. I know. One day. Oh my goodness. What have you been up to? Any fun travel that you've been able to do since we last spoke, either to Disney or not Disney? Yes. So we've done a few different trips throughout the past year. We did some domestic. So we've been to New York. Danielle, I'm going to stop you right there. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?

[00:01:38] Next time we did a nice family stay and visit it with some family. The next time I'm there because Dani and I love New York. And I think it's the walking ability of New York that we like because it reminds us of Disney. And there's so much to do. But next time I'm going to give you a rink. I'm going to find you. I'll hold you to that. We'll do a Broadway show. We'll go to a museum, a dinner, whatever. It's going to be great. Where else did you go this year?

[00:02:04] Earlier this year, we went to Progreso, Mexico on the Disney Magic. So we did Chichen Itza, which was really fun. And then that was our first time as a family on the Disney Magic. So it was really, really fun to experience their first ship. And then we have some plans to go on the Destiny next year. So. Oh, fun. I'm looking forward to that. Oh, my gosh. Charles just agreed to go on a Disney cruise recently. Yay!

[00:02:33] I have to figure out when I can do it, though, because our schedules are so busy with other travel plans already. And so it'll happen eventually because I told him now that he said yes, like you can't take that back. Yes, you have the green light now. I have the green light. As soon as I see something that will work for us, I'm going to pull the trigger. Yes. Yes.

[00:02:53] All right. So for this trip, this is an April trip. You're going April 1st through 6th. And I'm going to say right now, I believe that it's spring break for a lot of schools. Yes. Brave lady.

[00:03:09] I know. We tend to go in spring break. The last time I was there with my parents was in March of 2022. And we braved it then. That was actually Danny's first trip to Disney with me. So that was really fun. But I feel like with Lightning Lane or just being smart about what you want to ride or just being at the parks and people watching, you don't have to worry too much about crowds and you can strategize around it.

[00:03:37] Yeah. I think if you're, if you've got a plan and if you're not somebody who's like, oh, if I don't do every single thing, because it's impossible to do every single thing. So impossible, especially with riot closures. Yeah. Look it up before you go so you don't get heartbroken. Mm hmm. Who's going on this trip this time?

[00:03:55] Oh, gosh. So I'll have Danny with me, my mom and my dad. So it's going to be a fun time for all four of us. The first time since 2022 for my parents. And then Danny and I were last there January of 2025. But this will be a somewhat of a birthday celebration for my mom and I too.

[00:04:17] Oh, really? Okay. Yeah. Very close together birthdays. We do. So we're birthdays in March. But with all the work travels and everything, and we're five days apart, we decided to just do something early April to celebrate together. Oh, fun. Remind me, do you have siblings? Are you an only child?

[00:04:40] I do. I have an older sister as well. Yeah. So she and her husband joined us on the Disney Magic in January. So we had all six of us. It was really fun. Wow. That's something I want to do is when I do my cruise, I would love it if my sister could come. Oh, gosh, it's the best. Yeah, especially because she has three younger kids. And I think that they would enjoy the kids club and stuff like that. Of course.

[00:05:05] So I tried to sell it to her. I was like, you know, they've got this kids club, kids love to go to it. And that way we can just do what we want to do and hang out. Right. She was like, that's amazing. So we'll see. That adds another element to consider when scheduling is if I'm including a whole other family in there.

[00:05:22] It'll be a good opportunity for the kids to experience a lot because I think I've determined that it's easier to do character photos on the cruise than at a park because there are less people. The lines are going to be shorter and then you can maximize seeing like anyone that you want to see the Mickey and friends or if you have like a themed cruise like we were on the Marvel Day at Sea, you do all the other characters and superheroes with that too.

[00:05:50] So I feel like if you're trying to go as a family and you have kids and you just want to enjoy yourself as an adult, but have the kids enjoy their time. It's the best of both worlds. Yeah. Yeah. And the Marvel Day at Sea sounds amazing, especially her three kids are all boys and I'm sure they would really get into that. All right. So you are leaving on Wednesday, April 1st, April Fool's Day. Yes. Hopefully no challenges at the airport.

[00:06:20] Oh, gosh. I mean, hopefully no TSA challenges at the airport. With all of these waits, the lines I'm seeing are crazy. Have you have you seen similar things in your area? We have. So there are two airports near us. We have the intercontinental Bush Airport that's by. So that one's more for international travel, which from the wait times I've seen, they haven't been too challenging. That's where we'll actually be departing from.

[00:06:46] But we're also the people who just leave a couple hours earlier to make sure we're there on time and can stop and get like something to eat before we board, things of that nature. So we'll be keeping an eye out to see if we'd be even earlier. OK. All right. What time is your flight? We're going to be leaving in the morning around eight o'clock. OK. All right. So perhaps arriving at the airport as early as 5 a.m. Yes. OK. Yeah.

[00:07:14] What time does that get you into MCO? So things go as planned. We should be getting into MCO before noon. So I'll just phrase it that way. Before noon at the carousel with the luggage and everything. Yeah. Are you and mom and dad all going to be on the same flight? Yes, we are. Oh, fantastic. That's nice. And how have you decided to get over to Disney property? And I should say, where are you staying?

[00:07:41] Yes. Yeah. So we're going to be staying in the Disney Springs area. Danny and I enjoy the holiday in Disney Springs. So we're going to do that again. My parents will be staying as well. So we like the option of Disney Springs because of all the shops and restaurants nearby. And then with this being a good neighbor hotel for families who are looking for a more budget friendly option, it checks that box and then you still get the 30 minute early entry to the park.

[00:08:09] And then you can also do the free shuttle transportation that you can reserve through the hotel you're at. So we like these perks. And do they have an app or something for that? So you can book with their, I think there's a QR code and then you can also do it at the front desk to get more information. And if I'm not mistaken, you can reserve your shuttle transportation spot up to 48 hours in advance of that day. Okay. All right. That makes it a little bit easier.

[00:08:38] And then you always have the option to Lyft or Uber if you miss the bus. All right. So how are you getting over to the Disney Springs area? Yes. So we're also going to do a ride share. I think I have Uber and Lyft. So we'll see of those two, which is going to be the preferred option once we grab our luggage. But that has been the mode of transportation that we usually try to take.

[00:09:03] In the past, my mom would book one of the transportation services like a happy limo. But now with the, I guess, all of the apps available for you to take a taxi or a ride share, it's just been our choice of transportation these days. What kind of tickets did you decide on this time? So this is another fun part of our trip. So Danny and I, he surprised us for Christmas with annual passes. So this will be our first time activating them.

[00:09:33] And then my parents also bought them as well. So we're all going to be... They did? Yes. Oh my gosh. The cost just made sense for us. We have another trip for Disney World booked in November. And just the cost of the tickets with Park Hopper and the amount of days that we were going, it made sense to just do annual passovers. Oh, wow. Okay. That's so exciting. I have been waiting for you to become an AP. This is the year, Virginia.

[00:10:03] It's happening. Oh my goodness. And now you're going to start the ongoing search for cheap flights so that you can just hop over for a day here and there as you're able to find something that fits into your budget and your schedule. I am so excited about that. I'll just need to carry on and I'll be good to go. Just one pair of Mickey ears. I can narrow the closet down just to a pair just for those purposes.

[00:10:31] Yeah, it's a little addictive. And especially, you know, for just a trip where you don't need a suitcase, where you don't necessarily mind going on the cheapest airliner. Just you're like, just get me there. Just get me there. Yes. Did you add on anything like memory maker to one of your annual passes? No.

[00:10:52] And with me and all my cameras, I think I might opt in for great photo opportunities where we see we want to take something. And if it makes sense, I might do it. But we didn't do it beforehand. So I know we have a little bit more time before the trip starts where we can look into it. But no, I didn't. You know, thinking back, I actually didn't do it for the cruise either. So we end up just buying single photos. Yeah.

[00:11:18] Now, I don't know how it works with your annual passes because the annual pass I get is through DVC. But for mine, I have the option. It's like, I want to say it's like $100. And it's for the year. Oh, that's really good. And it's just like tacked on to my AP. So it's not just for the trip. I love that. It's a year long for that much. That's really good. You should look into it and see if it's similar for the traditional AP tickets. Okay.

[00:11:47] All right. So Lyft or Uber over to the resort. And you have almost a full day ahead of you if you arrive around noon. So what are you planning to do with yourselves on this day? You know what? We haven't decided to tackle a park yet. We might do so in the sense of being able to activate the passes so that the first full park day we're just ready to go. Sure. In doing so, we might just say which of the parks has the lowest wait time for one of our favorite attractions.

[00:12:17] Go there and then go to guest services to activate. But we have a few hours before dinner. So we're going to be dining for dinner at 510 at Topolinos Terrace. Nice. And I know you have done Topolinos for dinner before. Yes. Because we both love Topolinos for dinner. I'm looking forward to. It's good for breakfast too. But I always hear people talk about breakfast. I rarely hear people talk about the other meals of the day, which are also fantastic.

[00:12:46] They're just not character meals. And I've never done breakfast. And that's my thing. We always do dinner, but I hear so many great things about the breakfast. And I think because we're such early bird risers to just go to the parks right away, we don't really sit down for full breakfast. Although I will say with the hotel and the accommodations we booked, we do have breakfast included. And they have a nice sit-down meal and buffet.

[00:13:13] So it's kind of like, well, I guess we'll just take what's included. And then maybe in a future trip, we'll try their breakfast out. Well, I'm going to say that now that you are an annual pass holder, you're going to find it easier to make time for a breakfast at Topolinos.

[00:13:31] Because when you have regular date-based tickets, the feeling of I need to get to the parks and start my day and get my money's worth out of it is a big thing that you're contending with, right? But with APs, you've got a whole year to go as many times as you want, basically. So I think you're going to find it easier, even if it's not on this trip. On the next one, maybe you'll make time for it. That'll be my goal then.

[00:13:58] The next time we speak, I'll have some breakfast plan. What are you going to do after dinner? Any fireworks plans? Because if you went to dinner at Topolinos, you could, in theory, just Skyliner over to one of the parks and do your activation then, too, if you wanted. That's true. We might do that. My mom loves Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. So being that Epcot is, like you said, a Skyliner ride away. Depending on the wait times, maybe we'll try to get that in.

[00:14:27] Or, like you mentioned, just go to Hollywood Studios on the opposite side. Just activate it through there. So we'll see. I kind of like not having as many plans. I feel like when you and I first did our recording for the first time with me, I was like very planned out. And now I'm just kind of like easygoing. Because as you know, with Danny and I, we park hop like crazy. So he knows what we'll do. You all are like park hop till you drop type folks. So. All right.

[00:14:56] Thursday, April 2nd. Do you know what park you might go to? Yes. So we have Animal Kingdom booked. So that'll be a nice way to start the official full day at Disney World. So we'll probably hit up for sure. Depending on what early entry is looking like. Because I like to take advantage of early entry to go to one of my favorite rides at Animal Kingdom, which is Flight of Passage.

[00:15:22] So if we can, we'll try to do a standby Flight of Passage and then also do a Lightning Lane Flight of Passage back to back. If possible. Just to minimize the increasing wait times throughout the day. Right. With Dinoland USA being closed. Mm-hmm. I guess a handful of attractions that we're looking at are Expedition Everest. Of course, the new Zootopia better. Zootopia: Better Together I can't even say it.

[00:15:51] Better Zoo-gather with the Tree of Life. Better Zoo-gather. The new experience in the Tree of Life. So that attraction. Of course, Kilimanjaro Safari. Mm-hmm. And then we haven't done the Cali River Rapids in quite some time. Just because we usually have lunch booked after Animal Kingdom at Zona, which we do. But I wouldn't want to be drenched. So how wet does one get on Cali River Rapids?

[00:16:22] Well, Danielle, that is a mixed bag. Like, it depends on where you're sitting. And by where you're sitting, I don't mean that you can pre-plan a seat to remain dry. It's just like usually when you're riding Cali River Rapids, one or two people will get drenched. And most everybody else will be a little bit wet. And you just don't know. It's the Russian roulette of rides. I like that. The Russian roulette of rides. Okay. So I'm not sure if I'm ready to take a gamble.

[00:16:50] You know, I don't think. I think given how warm it will probably be. So let me check out my weather app real quick because I always have Orlando saved. Let's see what it is this week, which is highs in the mid-80s. Okay. I'm guessing that even if you are one of the people who gets soaked on the ride, that as long as you have like an hour of walking around in the warm air, you will probably be dry. Okay.

[00:17:21] Okay. It's going to be too determined if I get on it. I mean, you could always bring a little change of clothes and leave it in the locker at the front just in case. It's true. I might do that. We'll see. I'll bring a shower cap from the hotel too. Oh my God. If you do that, please send me a picture. I will share photos. Are you getting multi-pass lightning lane for every park day you do? No, I don't think we'll do it for Animal Kingdom.

[00:17:46] I think for the park that we hop to, we might do lightning lane there. It will definitely just depend on wait times and then what we're feeling, where the wind blows us. Okay. And do you think that your mom and dad will ride most everything you ride? Yes. So my mom, most definitely. My dad does not enjoy like super fast roller coasters. So he won't be on Expedition Everest.

[00:18:12] He does ride like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but it would be close. So he actually enjoys just being there with us. Um, we're big family people. So he's the person that once we get out of the ride and exit the ride gates, we see him right there. And he's just smiling all ear to ear to see us. So we, we love that he is a patient waiter for us while we're waiting on rides.

[00:18:40] It sounds like he's, he's into the vibes. And so he probably enjoys a little time to himself to just sit there and relax and watch people go by. But exactly. That's what we love to do. So I'm very thankful that Disney has something for everyone in my family, even if you aren't on an attraction at the time. Right. So you said lunch at Sanaa? Yes. So we're going to do that. We have it around noon. So the four of us will do lunch there.

[00:19:07] And the last time Danny and I dined, we just did an appetizer only meal. I love getting the mango lassi. And of course we talk about bread service. We can do that all day long. So we'll do that. And then maybe samosas. And I think the lamb kafta was another dish that we really enjoyed. So we might replay that entire order back or see if there's something we want to try different. I love their bread service. And I know that's not a hot take because most people love their bread service.

[00:19:37] So good. Can't go wrong. No, you cannot. I don't think I tried the mango lassi though. It's really good. I'm going to make a lassi so I should try it. Yeah, we're going back to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Well, back to Animal. We're staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge for the first time this summer. So I'm really looking forward to taking advantage of the restaurants there. Oh my gosh, that'll be wonderful. I can't wait to hear about it and see your videos. Yeah. What park do you think you might hop to?

[00:20:03] You know, this is a good time of day after lunch where the bellies feel a little full. So we'll see if we take a break and then hop over to something that's a little bit lighter. I think when it comes to park hopping, Dani, I found that the most frequent park is Magic Kingdom for us. Probably because we love the thrill rides there. So I would not be surprised if we venture over to Magic Kingdom.

[00:20:31] Or if maybe at that point after lunch, we take a break and go back to the hotel and do Hollywood. I'm not sure. We'll see where we split up. I'll be curious to see, with Dani and I being like eight hour plus people, if my parents will also join us on that journey. Or if they're like, you guys are a little crazy, let's take a break here.

[00:20:56] Yeah, I could see maybe you all hopping and then them going and enjoying Disney Springs or something like that. And then my mom, too, loves the rides as much as Dani and I. So I could see her being like, oh, if you guys are going to another park, I'm coming with you. And then my dad's like, OK, if you're going, then I'm going to. The domino effect. Yeah. OK. Any other dining plans for this day? Do you have any dinner reservations? We didn't.

[00:21:24] We were initially booked for Chefs de France. But then I changed the reservation and canceled because we had it for 4 or 5 p.m. And we eat dinner a little earlier, but that was too close after lunch. Oh, that's like we just finished eating lunch and it's time to eat again. Especially at the bread service at Sanaa. It's like, no, let's just kind of keep it open. We'll see if we end up doing dinner at Disney Springs before we make our way back to the hotel. Or sometimes we're just light bite type of eaters.

[00:21:54] And I would not be surprised if we even do Dole Whip for dinner. Dole Whip for dinner. I mean, when in Disney? All right. So Friday, April the 3rd. What's your plan there? So we're going to start the day at Magic Kingdom. This will be a fun big moment for my mom because she has not experienced Tiana's Bayou Adventure. So I'm so excited for her to do that. I have her poncho ready and I've only done it at night.

[00:22:21] So if possible, doing it during the day will be really fun for me too. And you think you'll get multi-pass this day? I think so. We definitely will. So is Tiana's going to be one of your three choices if you can get it? I think so. I'm trying to prioritize things that either my parents have not done or as a group we know that we all four will enjoy together. So thinking about it from that perspective. But Tiana's will definitely be one of those three. Okay.

[00:22:51] What do you think your other two might be? Hmm. If we can, we like doing a standby for Haunted Mansion. So maybe not that one. Possibly getting her on Charm Light Cycle Run. I don't know if she will. And it's not that she doesn't like the coaster aspect of it, but the position that you have to lean over on it. Mm-hmm. So that's totally fair. And I don't know if the last row on the coaster where it's more of just a sit down, you can buckle in.

[00:23:20] If that will be an available option for her, I'm going to definitely try to get her on it. Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, I'll cross my fingers for you. Do you think you would do that standby or do you think you would buy an individual lightning lane? I'd buy an individual for that one. And my dad will not ride that one, but I know he would love the ride queue.

[00:23:41] So I'm hoping that if we can do a standby, he can just walk in with us and then leave once we are getting on the ride. If not, I will probably just do a lightning lane. Okay. All right. What do you think your other lightning lane pre-selections will be? Space Mountain, for sure. That one's a really good one for us as the three of us, as my mom loves that one.

[00:24:07] So let's see, we've got Space Mountain, Yana, and then, you know what? I might pre-book Haunted Mansion. I rephrase that because I'm thinking back to the beginning of our conversation with this being spring break. Mm-hmm. That's true. I mean, the line for Haunted Mansion can't get quite long sometimes. Yeah. But also, you know, you can also find it at certain points during the day when it's not as bad.

[00:24:32] So if you're going to rope drop Magic Kingdom, then you might be able to find a time at the very beginning of the day when it's not too long. That would probably be my initial goal. Prioritizing Tiana's Intron Light Cycle Run as if I need to purchase these, I will through lightning lane. But then seeing what we can maximize through the beginning of the morning after rope drop to get in, see what we can. And then if we want to replay something and ride it again, then maybe I'll purchase a lightning for that. Yeah.

[00:25:01] Any dining plans this day? Let's see. I'm going through my notes. Let's see what I have on the notes for this day. Yes. So I don't know how I could forget this. So we are going to do a split on dinner this day. Danny and I booked Victoria and Albert's a few months in advance for my birthday. What? Yeah. That's why I'm like, how did I forget? How did you forget this? Did I even have that in my-

[00:25:29] Probably not because it's just been such a busy year. No. I'm just like, we're going to Disney. No. You literally said April AP's 30th birthday celebration. That's all of a prelude I got. Okay. Wow. All right. Well, hold on. You said you're splitting for dinner. So where are mom and dad going? So we couldn't get them for dinner with us. So they're going to STK at Disney Springs. Oh, okay. Well, I've heard really good things about that too. So really good food. All right.

[00:25:57] So back to Victoria and Albert's. Oh my goodness. So you are most likely, I'm assuming, going back to the hotel to get fancied up. Okay. What are you looking forward to most about this experience? I think the unknown of it. I did not do a terrible ton of research because I like being surprised. This will be the first time that I'm stepping foot into the Grand Floridian in probably over

[00:26:27] a decade. Wow. Because it's just been a while that we've been there. First time there with Danny. So a lot of firsts for us. I'm looking forward to the ambiance. Maybe a little bit more than the course mill. Because I like course mills and I like the buildup that each course provides for the next and what are we going to have for this one and that one. And being that it's Michelin star, that's really nice. But I think I'm just looking forward to the service because Disney always does every restaurant different than if you're not at the parks.

[00:26:56] Like you just feel like you're being treated as if you're a royal family. So doing that at Victoria and Albert's, I'm like, I can't imagine what that's going to be like. Oh my gosh. Well, this will be the second time then that I'm talking to somebody who is going to Victoria and Albert's because Elizabeth went to Victoria and Albert's the very first time she ever did a trip report with me. So if you wanted to hear a little bit about it, you could go back and listen to that. Yes, that's a great idea. Trip report.

[00:27:24] But that's one thing she talked about was, I mean, she said the food was amazing, but she just went on and on about the service. So yeah, you're going to have an amazing time. I'm so jealous. Hopefully it's as great as all the reviews say it will be. It better be. I'll be speaking back here with my opinions for sure. Oh my goodness. All right. Well, it's hard to top that, but is there anything else on this day that you have planned?

[00:27:53] Being that we'll be around the Magic Kingdom area, I would not be surprised if after dinner, if we are up to it, we just go over to Magic Kingdom and see if we can check a fireworks show. Or what we also like doing is getting the Sundays for dessert on Main Street, you want to say? If you're hungry at that point. I know. We'll see. So it might just be a let's just walk off the mill we just had type of thing. Or oh my gosh, Space Mountain's 20 minutes.

[00:28:22] Let's get over there now. Well, if you're going to be fancied up, I also think it might be a good opportunity to go over and do a little photo shoot. Like go take photos in front of the castle just because you're dressed up nicely. Oh, that's cute. I like that idea. Yeah. More to come. We'll see what happens. Okay. Cannot wait. I'm like, I've been sweating through this dress because I've just been running around the park. Like that's what I'm imagining I'm going to do. I'm just kidding.

[00:28:50] Back and forth across Magic Kingdom on different rides. We'll see. Hopefully I take a more chilly route, like you said, just do a nice photo shoot. Yeah, I think I can I can see some cute photos happening. And if you if you planned ahead, you could maybe even if you're getting the memory maker added on, you'd be able to just do it with the PhotoPass people or they have that. What is it called? What's it called? The one where you pre-schedule to work with a PhotoPass person.

[00:29:17] I know what you're talking about where it's like the enchanting extras where you can choose. Yes, I know. Yes. I don't know the name of it. I usually know the name of it. And for whatever reason, it's probably because I'm getting older. I can't remember this moment. No, it's capture your moment. Yeah, capture your moment or capture the moment. It's capturing. You're capturing moments. Yes. But I've heard good things about about that. So something to consider. Yeah. All right.

[00:29:46] Saturday, April the 4th. What's the plan there? I know Saturday. It's going to be a busy day. So it's Easter weekend. But we're going to brave it up and go to Hollywood Studios. Okay. Easter weekend. I don't know which park is the busiest on Easter weekend. Maybe Magic Kingdom. I mean, Magic Kingdom's always busy. Or even Epcot this year with the Easter eggs. Yeah. Because of Flower and Garden. Mm-hmm. Yeah. With the festival going on.

[00:30:14] It'll be a cute shot for families and their kids and their nice Easter outfits. And I haven't paid attention to whether Hollywood Studios does anything. But Hollywood Studios always does such cute Christmas decorations. Yeah. It'd be really cute if they had vintage-y looking Easter decorations. My gosh. Okay. I will let you know. Okay. I'm always here for a good, like, large vintage-looking bunny. He's like, I'm not giving you candy. This is mine. Like when they have the mischievous looks on their face. Uh-huh.

[00:30:46] What do you think about Easter candy in the grand scheme of candies for holidays? Because, I don't know, I kind of think Easter candy might be the best. There's something about egg-shaped candy. It's definitely the cutest. Yeah. I like Peeps the other day in store. I saw a cotton candy-flavored Peep. And I was like, I'm not even going to try it. Because if I start this, it's going to be something that I'm going to want year-round. And it's only a limited time. And you're, yeah.

[00:31:15] And you're going to go on a Peeps journey. So for me, when I see unusually flavored things, I'm like, ooh, I should try that. So I got Alex the other day Rice Krispie Treat flavored Peeps. And I was like, this is unusual. All right, let me get it to him. And we tasted it. And it was like, you could barely taste like the Rice Krispie flavor. And Alex was like, this is weird that you made something that's already a marshmallow marshmallow flavored. And I was like, excellent point. That's so funny.

[00:31:45] I would not recommend that. I would find the opportunity to buy a Dr. Pepper flavored Peep. Because I thought, as much as I like Dr. Pepper, that just sounds bad. Yeah, that doesn't sound like a good idea. It would be like, you regret the Peep. And then you might not even want a Dr. Pepper for a while after. Right. Yeah. Yeah. But yes, I think Easter candy is the cutest for sure.

[00:32:16] Great marketing with the packaging. The carrot-shaped Reese's and everything. And all the pastels. Yeah. Oh my gosh. It's so cute. Yeah. All right. Multipass Lightning Land. Do you think you might do it on this day? For sure. Priority for us will be Star Wars Rise of the Resistance. So this is one of the attractions that my dad enjoys. He's not big on drops, nor am I.

[00:32:40] So the fact that it's a mild drop and just the immersion in Star Wars, being on that attraction, it's just fun for all of us. So that's going to be one we'll get. And then Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for Danny. I have become his partner in going on the ride because it's almost like a domino effect. Because he's going, then I will go. But I do not take the ride as smoothly as other guests probably do.

[00:33:08] Have you tried to do the glam bot thing with the video? I haven't. Because everybody's doing that. Let me try it. Is it a trend? I have. Okay. I'm glad you reminded me. I will try it. So that's my focus the entire ride. I'm either going to look like I'm doing a weird in vogue look or it's going to be like terrifying because I'm not taking the ride well. But I'm going to give it a shot. Whatever it is, I will be sharing it with you. I did.

[00:33:36] I think I did like a hair toss the last time I did it. That's smart. And then the time before that, I did like a blow a kiss at the camera. Oh, okay. So yeah, have fun with it. Okay. I'm going to do some fun faces. That will be something that I would probably purchase then in terms of like the memory maker getting the photo experience video from that. Yep. Yep. Yep. All right. Which other rides do you think you might pre-select for multi-pass? Maybe even Smugglers Run if I can.

[00:34:06] If not, Toy Story Mania because that's another one the four of us enjoy. So it will be one of those things where we might even rope drop Tower of Terror if we can and then not do a lightning lane for that, prioritizing Rise over it. But we'll see. Well, Rise you have to get an individual lightning lane for still, right? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So that is still a big priority ride. So you do have to purchase that one. That's right. Yeah.

[00:34:36] Any dining plans for this day? I think for this day, I mentioned earlier how we were trying to do Chefs de France on April 2nd. So I think I have it booked for the 4th. At around 6 o'clock in the evening. So we'll either, with that being such a gap in between starting the day at Hollywood, we'll do a break or a park hop combination of sorts before we get to dinner. Have you eaten at Chefs de France before? Yes.

[00:35:04] So this will be, I think, our third time. Danny and I started going as a couple and then we just have gone every trip since. We love, the service is really good. The environment is nice. I like being able to practice a little French here and there with the way it's back. Oh, do you speak some French? Not well at all. You're like, no. I am, no. I can say some things, but I can read it better than I can speak it.

[00:35:29] So because I've been a solo learner, not having people around me who speak it has been limiting with the actual like oratory experience of French. When I had to take French in high school and then in college, I was always better at reading it than I was speaking it. Because it was like my brain had to do the mental gymnastics of translating on the spot. That part of it does not come naturally to me.

[00:35:59] Yes. Yeah. And then I feel like it's such a deeper language when you speak it. So the pronunciation is always something I'm nervous about. Like if I'm actually saying the words right, but you just have to try it out. So they're always nice and gracious with me when I mispronounce things. They're like, oh, we know what you need. What do you think you might get for dinner there? Do you have a favorite? And I'm not going to say what it is in French, correct? Yeah.

[00:36:27] This isn't me trying to trap you into now speaking with a proper French accent. It's basically a braised beef and they will serve it. It's probably traditionally served over pasta. I think it's the, man, I'm forgetting the name of the dish on the menu. But it was like a magical moment last time because the cast member who is serving us was like, would you like this with mashed potatoes instead of the pasta? Would you like to try it differently? And I was like, yes.

[00:36:56] So it was traditionally like for an American style dish. So it's like braised beef with mashed potatoes. But with a nice wine reduction as the beef is cooked in and the pearled onions and all the vegetables. So that is my go-to. And then I will try to pair it with a red wine of sorts. Mm-hmm. Okay. Sounds good to me. All right. Sunday, April the 5th. Yeah. So this will be our Epcot day.

[00:37:24] So not our first exposure, I'm sure, with us park hopping. So it won't be our first day experiencing the Flower and Garden Festival. But I'll say it will be our first morning experiencing it. And maybe the first day where you give it some focus. Yes. Yes. And this will actually be, if I'm not mistaken, this will be Easter Sunday. So wow, look at me planning it, not intentionally for that day. But that's where we end up on Sunday.

[00:37:52] I wonder how many people will get dressed up to go to the parks that day in their Easter best. Yeah. I'm like, do I need a pack of dress? Do you need to do like a little dapper moment here? Yes. Yes. Please do. Because the photos with the topiaries would be so cute in a little Easter dress. Oh, I can't imagine what the outfits for the characters are. That's true. They might have special outfits that day. I hope they have baskets. They have to have baskets. Yeah. B-Y-O-B. Bring your own basket.

[00:38:23] Oh, wait. Should I pack a basket? Maybe. Wait, do they have an Easter egg? Let me look into all of this after our talk. Oh, you know what you should bring? I mean, I don't know. So as long as you don't need a ton of stuff to bring with you or Danny can carry it, this would be the perfect day to carry a purse that's made out of a woven straw purse or something. Do you have one? No. Because I have one and I hardly ever carry it because it doesn't carry very much. It fits my phone and that's about it.

[00:38:52] But it's so cute. I bet. Those are the cutest, especially for that day. Yeah. This is going to be my outfit moment day of the trip. Yeah. I'll plan something accordingly for this. You can get one of those at TJ Maxx. I see them there all the time. I'll make that my homework before the trip. Make sure I find something so I have a nice Easter outfit. Yeah. Love it. All right. What are your other plans at Epcot this day? This will also be my mom's big moment number two.

[00:39:20] So we've had Tiana's questionable for Tron, but it's definitely a green light for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Green Rhyme. No. Oh, I'm so excited for her. Yeah. Oh my gosh. I haven't told her much. I haven't told her about how it starts off backwards in the music. I want it to be a surprise. Okay. Because I know like, yeah, that reaction you just had is like what we all experienced the first time on the ride. So I'm like, I can't take that away from her.

[00:39:50] I can't. Oh gosh. She's either going to be mad or happy when she gets off. I'll record it. Oh, please. Please do. Oh my gosh. Okay. This is exciting. And does she know that it has music involved? Mentioned the music, but I don't know if I mentioned how detailed of an experience the music is throughout the ride. Okay. All right. And she probably doesn't know anything about the pre-show room or like how you get. Okay. Yep. I love watching people.

[00:40:20] Like, I wish I could be a fly on the wall for this because I love watching people experiencing something like this for the first time. Like I'm the person that if I'm on like Rise of the Resistance, right? And I realized that people I'm with are first timers on the ride. I will sit there and I won't stare at them because I don't want to be weird. But I will like out of the corner of my eye be watching them the entire time, especially when it comes to the little baby drop.

[00:40:46] Because it is just so much fun for me to watch somebody get surprised and experience something that I've done now a million times. I'm like, I want to feel like I'm doing it for the first time again. Yeah. And watching other people gives me that feeling. I'm very excited to do it with her for the first time. I'll probably be watching her. The other thing is she's not big into Guardians of the Galaxy, not because she doesn't like them, but just because it's not like a movie franchise that she's watched as much. Of course, like I've watched all of it.

[00:41:15] So part of it will be like, what is Groot? Like, what is all of this? Like the storyline is not going to be a big part of it for her. I think the ride will be when she starts getting into like, whoa. Okay. I don't, I personally, I don't think you need to know a lot about the Guardians of the Galaxy stories to enjoy the ride. That's true. The only thing you might want to say to her is there's a character who all they can say is I am Groot.

[00:41:43] So like the inflection helps you understand what they might actually be saying. I'll prep that for her. That's true. Yeah. I'll give her like their space journey background. They're like superheroes trying to help. And there is an evil villain that wants to attack the planet. So they are going to prevent that. And then you get to experience the prevention. Right. Yes. All right. I love it. What else do you think you might get into that day?

[00:42:11] We do have lunch at Tepanito booked for around noon. So we'll do that either before or after Guardians, but we will definitely try to do some of the other rides that they haven't experienced like Frozen Ever After. I know like we were as a family, like somewhat protesting of their clothes with Maelstrom. So now it's like, okay, it's been a minute. Your protest has concluded. We can get on here right now.

[00:42:38] So Danny and I did it last year and we thought it was really cute. So we're like, okay, you guys, you guys can get on it. But now after seeing the new Olaf that's been such a viral meme and trend everywhere. I'm like, I wish that Olaf was on the Frozen ride. I know. I know. I think eventually he will come to our parks and be an experience where people can see him walking around. Yeah. But I do like seeing him on the ride too, though. He is cute.

[00:43:08] He waddles over. Yes. And his face. That's adorable. Yeah. But I'm looking forward to seeing the girls' faces after their facelifts, after the work they have done. It's been so fun to see the videos online when, I mean, it's never great when there's a malfunction, but when it's a funny malfunction, it's just the best. Life happens. It does. It does. Any other rides that you're going to prioritize this day?

[00:43:36] Because, I mean, you could spend the whole day doing Flower and Garden, truthfully.

[00:44:07] Mm-hmm. So that is very exciting news to me. I think I've seen some peach cobblers too, so I'm hoping for that. So, you know what? Now that I'm saying all this out loud, this will be a post-launch thing. Uh-huh. Okay. After launch, you'll just probably take advantage of all of the festivities there. Pictures, try to see if there's an Easter egg hunt I can participate in, or character spots, all of that. Yeah. Oh, that'll be fun.

[00:44:36] So that brings us to Monday, April the 6th, which I believe is your departure day. Mm-hmm. What time are you heading out? We're departing. If I'm not mistaken, we have like a 6 p.m. flight out. Oh, okay. So a little bit in the evening. So we have the opportunity to take advantage of one last park that day. What are you thinking? Mm-hmm. I think it might be a decision based on what my mom enjoyed the most. Oh, okay. All right.

[00:45:04] So maybe the whole trip you can kind of be chatting out like, as of today, what are you thinking? And then as of the next day, what are you thinking? Like if she's like, oh my gosh, Guardians was awesome. Let's go there again and ride it. And I'm like, yes, ma'am, let's go. Well, the good thing about Guardians is if you're willing to buy a Lightning Lane, you could do it on that last day and just roll up, only ride that, and then spend whatever time you want to in a park. That's true. It doesn't necessarily have to be Epcot because you're APs now.

[00:45:33] That's possible. I love that. And then I love how, of course, you know, it's been two years now, but we were the ones who were trying to navigate around that 2 p.m. park hop window. So now that that's out of the window, we can also just go wherever. So I love that. The possibilities are endless. I know. Or it might be a day where we start at Disney Springs, see if there's something that they want to look at.

[00:46:00] We tend to not be big shoppers at Disney Springs. So we aren't carrying so much back home. But I usually buy like that one item that I was looking at the entire trip. I'll buy it that last day. I think I bought the weighted Mickey Mouse flush last trip. Yes, you did. So I wouldn't carry it around the whole time. Yeah, still have him with me. He sits in the bedroom by my bedside.

[00:46:27] He's a big weighted thing, right? He's very big. I'm going to say like at least a foot and a half long, right? Uh-huh. He's pretty big. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Wow. Yeah. I have not gotten into the weighted blanket or weighted pillow trend, but I think I would probably like that. Like I think I would like a weighted blanket. Yeah. A weighted Disney blanket would be nice. Yeah. I wish they were microwavable too for heat, but do not microwave your weighted Mickey's everyone.

[00:46:57] They will not endure. They should make them into an electric blanket or an electric weighted plush. He's so cute. An electric weighted plush. Does that exist? Did I just invent something? You're starting something, Virginia. I know. Trademark. Nobody steal that. We heard it here first. I love my electric blankets. I'm literally sitting here with one on my lap right now because it's Sunday morning.

[00:47:26] I do a lot of interviews on Sunday mornings just because it's easy for me to do it before my family wakes up and starts to join the world of the living again. And so confession, I'm still wearing like my pajama bottom shorts. So I have my little electric blanket on my lap. Come on, sweatshirts too. To keep myself warm. Stay cozy. Yep. I got my Uggs slippers on and I'm just sitting here all cozy talking to Danielle. I have my Uggs too. We're just matching from afar. Twins. All right.

[00:47:53] So getting to the airport, I imagine you're doing a ride share again. Yep. We'll do a ride share back. Hopefully the experience at MCO, we'll see where things are in terms of TSA at the time because that will actually dictate if we need to leave a park earlier to get to the airport earlier. So we'll definitely have an eye on that to see how much freedom we do have that last day. Okay. Well, you've got a lot of fun things planned and multiple things that are someone's first time. Yes.

[00:48:23] I'm so excited. And she is the original Disney fan of this family. So I love being able to share these experiences with her since she's welcomed me into this world of Disney. So it's nice. I can almost full circle give it back. Oh, I love that. I love that. It's like she gave you the memories. Now you're going to give her more memories back. And that's exactly what Disney is, is having these experiences.

[00:48:50] It's not about running from ride to ride to ride, although that's fun too. Yeah. There's a time and place for that. Not all the time. Right. But it's about being able to have these memories with friends, with family, or if you're on a solo trip, making memories for yourself. That's what makes it so special. So I can't wait to hear all about this, especially your Victoria and Albert's reservation, especially mom's first time on Guardians. Those are probably the two things I'm looking most forward to hearing about.

[00:49:20] Me too. And I will share all the favorite foods from the festival and everything. So yes, please do. And we'll see if there are cute character outfits. Stay tuned on that. Yes. All right. I will talk to you when you get back then. Have a wonderful time and be safe. Thank you, Virginia. Thank you so much, Danielle, for always being up for some fun Disney chatting. Listeners, the post-trip report should be next up in your queue. So make sure you're following the show so that you will always have the latest episodes ready to go.

[00:49:50] Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company. See you real soon. And as always, keep daydreaming about where you long to be.